Side Effects

Side Effects of Gabapentin

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

Like all medicines, Gabapentin capsules can cause side effects, although not everybody getsthem: Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms after taking this medicine as they can be serious: • severe skin reactions that require immediate attention, swelling of the lips and face, skin rash and redness and/or hair loss (these may be symptoms of a serious allergic reaction) • persistent stomach pain, feeling sick and being sick as these may be symptoms of acute pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas) • Gabapentin capsules may cause a serious or life-threatening allergic reaction that may affect your skin or other parts of your body such as your liver or blood cells. You may or may not have rash when you get this type of reaction. It may cause you to be hospitalised or to stop Gabapentin capsules. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following symptoms: – skin rash – hives – fever – swollen glands that do not go away – swelling of your lip and tongue – yellowing of your skin or of the whites of the eyes – unusual bruising or bleeding – severe fatigue or weakness – unexpected muscle pain – frequent infections • breathing problems, which if severe you may need emergency and intensive care to continue breathing normally These symptoms may be the first signs of a serious reaction. A doctor should examine you to decide if you should continue taking Gabapentin capsules. If you are on haemodialysis, tell your doctor if you develop muscle pain and/or weakness. Other side effects include: Very common (which may affect more than 1 person in 10): • Viral infection • Feeling drowsy, dizziness, lack of coordination • Feeling tired, fever Common (which may affect more than 1 person in 100): • Pneumonia, respiratory infections, urinary tract infection, inflammation of the ear or other infections • Low white blood cell counts • Anorexia, increased appetite • Anger towards others, confusion, mood changes, depression, anxiety, nervousness, difficulty with thinking. • Convulsions, jerky movements, difficulty with speaking, loss of memory, tremor, difficulty sleeping, headache, sensitive skin, decreased sensation (numbness), difficulty with coordination, unusual eye movement, increased, decreased or absent reflexes • Blurred vision, double vision • Vertigo • High blood pressure, flushing or dilation of blood vessels • Difficulty breathing, bronchitis, sore throat, cough, dry nose • Vomiting (being sick), nausea (feeling sick), problems with teeth, inflamed gums, diarrhoea, stomach pain, indigestion, constipation, dry mouth or throat, flatulence • Facial swelling, bruises, rash, itch, acne • Joint pain, muscle pain, back pain, twitching • Difficulties with erection (impotence) • Swelling in the legs and arms, difficulty with walking, weakness, pain, feeling unwell, flu-like symptoms • Decrease in white blood cells, increase in weight • Accidental injury, fracture, abrasion Additionally in clinical studies in children, aggressive behaviour and jerky movements were reported commonly. Uncommon (which may affect more than 1 person in a 1000): • Allergic reactions such as hives • Decreased movement • Racing heartbeat • Swelling that may involve the face, trunk and limbs • Abnormal blood test results suggesting problems with the liver • Mental impairment • Fall • Difficulty with thinking • High blood sugar (most often observed in patients with diabetes) • Agitation (a state of chronic restlessness and unintentional and purposeless motions) • Difficulty swallowing. Rare (which may affect less than 1 person in 1000): • Low blood sugar (most often observed in patients with diabetes) • Loss of consciousness • Trouble breathing, shallow breaths (respiratory depression) Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data (reported since introduction to the market): • Decreased platelets (blood clotting cells) • Hallucinations • Problems with abnormal movements such as writhing, jerking movements and stiffness • Ringing in the ears • A group of side effects that could include swollen lymph nodes (isolated small raised lumps under the skin), fever, rash, and inflammation of liver occurring together • Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), inflammation of the liver • Acute kidney failure, incontinence • Increased breast tissue, breast enlargement • Adverse events following the abrupt discontinuation of gabapentin (anxiety, difficulty sleeping, feeling sick, pain, sweating), chest pain • Breakdown of muscle fibers (rhabdomyolysis) • Change in blood test results (creatine phosphokinase increased) • Problems with sexual functioning including inability to achieve a sexual climax, delayed ejaculation • Blood glucose fluctuations in patients with diabetes • Hyponatraemia • Anaphylaxis (serious, potentially life threatening allergic reaction including difficulty breathing, swelling of the lips, throat, and tongue, and hypotension requiring emergency treatment) If any of the side effects become serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist. Reporting of side effects If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store. By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine